More than $1 million is going into the campaign to convince senators to block the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health and human services, according to a spokesperson for the operation.
The efforts of the Stop RFK War Room — helmed by the group Protect Our Care — have included lobbying, grassroots advocacy urging Americans to contact their senators, paid advertising in Washington and in the states of key senators and a report on Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric that was hand delivered to Senate offices.
Protect Our Care is “fiscally sponsored” by dark money group Sixteen Thirty Fund, a progressive organization that doesn’t disclose its donors. It had more than $180 million in revenue in 2023, according to its tax filings, and has reportedly received contributions from labor unions, environmental groups and Democratic superdonors including George Soros.
Other progressive groups are joining the campaign to stop Kennedy. 314 Action, a group that supports Democratic scientists running for office, convened Democrats in Congress who are doctors or nurses last week to urge senators to block Kennedy — and has spent six figures on advertising with the same message, according to a spokesperson.
Why it matters: The campaigns come as Kennedy has held meetings with Republicans and Democratic senators to try to secure votes for his confirmation.
Though several Republicans have come out of the meetings and said they’d back Kennedy, or suggested as much, some weren’t as enthusiastic. No Democrats have committed to voting for Kennedy and if none vote for him he can only lose three Republican votes and still go on to lead HHS.
Behind the effort: Leslie Dach, Protect Our Care’s founder, worked at the Department of Health and Human Services during Barack Obama’s presidency, and the group has fought to preserve Obamacare. Brad Woodhouse, a longtime Democratic strategist, is the group’s executive director. Its advisory board includes other top Obama administration officials, including former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Acting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Andy Slavitt.
What’s next: The Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees are expected to hold hearings on Kennedy’s confirmation in the coming weeks.
Chelsea Cirruzzo contributed to this report.
